The Best Free AV?

dragon wench · #1 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 05:21 PM

I'm not certain if this should be here or in SYM, so please move accordingly if needed

Anyway, I'm curious as to which free anti-virus programme people feel to be the superior: Avast, AntiVir or AVG ?

I have used Avast for several years and I've been quite impressed by it. Meanwhile I just removed AVG from my son's computer and replaced it with AntiVir.. and the latter caught several Trojans that AVG had missed.
So, going by personal experience I'd say it's between Avast and AntiVir.

Opinions?

Ferrick · #2 (**permalink**) 07-13-2007, 11:36 PM

This is an excellent subject to ask and I think extremely relevent. I installed Avast! Free on my daughter's new laptop that is running Vista Home Premium and it loaded without issue. They also have a great community forum which is a definite plus.

Why I chose to go with it was 1) For a free product it is amazing what it offers; just compare it to their $ version and there is very little difference, 2) Updates, 3) is not a system resource hog, and 4) it works with Vista.

AVG Free has not the greatest reputation recently from what I have read in my research. Understand, I am not anti-AVG and I am not bashing this ant-virus program.

AntiVir was another one I strongly considered.

Tricky · #3 (**permalink**) 07-14-2007, 01:47 AM

I've tried every one of them during short moments of suspicion, but I've NEVER caught a single virus on my computer. I don't know why. Should that be awkward? So.. I can't really tell which is best.

I don't know.. there are some things I'll never do on my computer. I always check out the legitimacy of the things I install. I've never used Outlook. Warez, that's something I'll never submit to. Is it really that hard to keep your computer virus free? All this talk of one in three (or whatever) computers containing more than N viruses is completely lost on me. =/

DesR85 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-14-2007, 04:28 AM

I find AVG okay for a freeware Anti-Virus program. I did manage to catch a few trojans and viruses hiding in my hard drive at one time. Heard about this program from TechTV's Call for Help (before the show was cancelled) and have been using it for the past 2 years. Might be interested in the others.